You Don't Know Me - NARRY/ZOUIS AU

VI - LOUIS - Give Me Love

[A/N: Dedicated to @MasterAdams88, not for guessing but because he's awesome. Guess the artist of the title for a dedication.]

I'm crying. After what happened with Josh, I promised myself I wouldn't show weakness anymore. But I can't help it.

Josh was my boyfriend. I actually loved him. But whenever I showed weakness, he'd beat the crap out of me. He was furious when I broke it off and started stalking me. We had to get a restraining order and, eventually, move.

And now Zayn will hate me just like Josh did - like he DOES.

"Louis? Lou, tell me what happened," Harry coaxes.

"I - " I manage. "I told h-him I l-liked him. A-and that - that I u-understood if h-he didn't l-like me b-back. H-he didn't say a-anything. He j-just stood th-there. S-so... I got a l-little closer. A-and I m-may have.... k-kissed him? A-and he f-freaked out and p-pushed me. I-I kinda b-broke a l-lamp, s-sorry."

By this point, I'm full-out sobbing. Harry wraps his arms around me and lets me cry. I fist his shirt in my hands, loving how calm and welcoming he is.

Liam starts spewing words that I don't understand. "What are you doing?" I whisper, still clinging to Harry.

"Cursing Zayn in Greek," Liam mutters angrily, tossing out a few more curse words. "And what makes it even weirder is that Zayn is bi. I mean, it's not like he's a homophobe or whatever. So his reaction makes no sense."

Hands gently comb through my hair - Niall's, because Harry's arms are wrapped around me still and Liam is gesturing angrily and muttering in what sounds suspiciously like Latin.

Niall pulls out his phone and gently pries me out of Harry's embrace. He taps the phone excitedly, signing with his hands. He folds his three middle fingers down, stretches his thumb and pinkie, and holds it to his ear, like a child pretending to use a phone. Then he holds up his mobile again.

"We should call Zayn," Harry murmurs. Niall nods excitedly and taps the Contacts button. Zayn's name has an exclamation point before it, and so does Liam's. The only other numbers in the phone are Mummy and Greg.

Harry hits the "Dial" button and switches it to speaker. The phone rings once, twice, thrice, and then someone picks up.

"What do you WANT, Niall?" Zayn snaps. He sounds exasperated, but I think I can hear him sniffling.

"Where in the name of - " Liam briefly lapses into Latin before continuing " - are you?"

"None of your concern, Li," Zayn replies. His voice is a little gentler now.

"Why the place downstairs did you run off like that? Do you have any idea what you did to Lou?"

"Oh, so he's Lou now, is he? Why don't you just hang out with him now, and leave me alone to freeze?" Zayn sounds like he's holding back sobs.

"Zayn...." I say hesitantly.

"What the frick do you want?" he growls. "And no swearing. Liam's there, apparently."

"I'm not a baby," Liam calls, "and I'm leaving now!"

"Zayn," I gulp, "I'm sorry for k-kissing you. I just really like you and I'm sorry if I crossed any boundaries. You seem like a genuinely nice person so - " I have to choke out the last few words " - if you hate me it must be for good reason."

"I don't hate you, stupid," he mutters. "But for the love of Christ! Is it your nature to just go around kissing strangers like that? You could have mono or something for all I know!"

"He doesn't," Harry cuts in icily.

"I don't care if he has RABIES, damn it! You don't. Kiss. Strangers. Obviously no one ever taught you that. Come find me when you learn some decent manners."

Zayn hangs up, but not before I hear him mutter, "God, I'm an idiot."

Niall puts the phone on the table and picks up the whiteboard. He had a boyfriend who was always cheating on him and abusing him. Kid's name was Josh, I think. Anyway, he's always been super cautious until now. I think you just caught him off his guard.

Only one piece of that really sticks out. Zayn was cheated on and abused. By Josh. Probably MY Josh.

"Harry, stay here with Niall and Liam. I'm going to find Zayn," I tell him.

"You don't have your coat, though! It's supposed to go negative tonight!" Harry says.

"Stay. With. Them," I tell him firmly. Then I pry myself from his grasp and run out the door.

It's snowing lightly by the time I reach an abandoned playground that's on the far outskirts of town. The sun is practically down, and I'm freezing, but I haven't found him yet.

I'm probably ten, twenty miles from home. I'll never make it back, even getting to town would take at least an hour. I stumble over to the play structures, collapsing by the merry-go-round. I drag myself onto it, just dropping into the snow.

I know it's dangerous to be here, because I could end up with frostbite. Or I could freeze to death. But I'm beyond caring now. I just want to forget about everything. Like those golden eyes, that tan skin and raven-colored hair, and that chiseled face, like a Greek or Roman statue.

And that voice....

"Louis! God, are you insane, mate?"

I must be. I'm imagining his voice.

"Louis! Lou, answer me! Oh God, oh God, oh God, please don't be dead, please, please don't be dead!"

I want to move, but I'm stiff and cold.

I can smell something, a scent of woodsmoke, cologne, and hairspray.

"Louis!" He's sobbing now, and warm patches splatter on my icy skin as he cries.

"Louis, please don't do this! I'm so sorry for what I said. I don't care that you kissed me because - " he gulps " - because I love you, Louis Tomlinson, I love you I love you I love you."

Then he kisses me, and it's like fireworks of warmth exploding through my body. Somehow, I manage to find the strength to kiss him back, and he pulls away.

"Louis! You're not dead, oh God - come on, we gotta get you warmed up!"

Zayn lifts me into his arms and starts jogging away. I can feel him prop me in a seat, buckle the belt, and lean the seat back. He cranks the heat in full blast and drapes something warm and heavy on me. His jacket.

The engine roars to life and Give Me Love starts to play. Zayn sings along, and as I get warmer, a few notes slip past my lips.

Zayn shushes me and tells me to close my eyes and rest. So I do, and Zayn sings me to sleep.